Don't Ever Give Up
by Jessie-la
Summary: Shika and Hatichi have been friends forever and one day when words are said everything changes between them. My first fanfic and I suck at summaries! Comments are welcome please! The only thing that I own is Hatichi.


The wind blew in a lazy manor that day. The clouds moved at a slow, steady pace. I sighed with content as I watched them gently float by over head. It was so nice to get out into the fresh air and away from all the troubles of school that day. I closed my eyes as the day began to replay itself over in my head.

The day started out normal enough, I walked to school with Kiba and Choji. Kiba barked with his little white puppy that he got the other day, Akamaru is what he called it. Choji had his face in a bag of chips, like always. So it was just a normal, ordinary day. Until Hatichi ran up and stated walking with us.

"Shikamaru!" I heard Hatichi from behind us. "Shika! Wait for me!"

I sighed, trouble had a bad way of following Hatichi around. She smiled at me as I stopped to wait for her.

"I'm sorry again about last night with your shirt." She blushed as she said this.

"Getting too rough with him last night?" Kiba winked at her and nudged me in the side with his elbow.

Hatichi blushed, "No we were at my house playing chess and my puppy kind of peed on him."

"Its okay Hatichi, dogs are just troublesome at times." I glared at Kiba's new friend.

Kiba glared back at me and we continued our walk in almost complete silence, Choji's munching on chips was the only sound.

When we got to the Academy I headed for my usual seat in the back, Hatichi following me of course. I sighed and laid my head down preparing for my usual nap.

"Uhmm Shika?"

I looked up to Hatichi looking sideways past me, "Yea?"

"Uh…well I was wondering if you wanted to-"

"Hey Hatichi," a cool, mellow voice interrupted her.

"Oh, hi Sasuke." She blushed. Sasuke was the one boy in school that could have any girl he wanted, but he only had eyes for Hatichi, and yet she could never see this.

"So Hatichi," he continued. "I was wondering if you wanted to practice with me tonight or something?" He sat on the edge of our table as he said this.

Hatichi blushed even deeper, if that was possible. "Oh well, I'd love to but I might already have plans with someone else." She glanced at me. Did she want me to lie for her? I couldn't tell, so I just did what I do best: nothing.

Sasuke glared at me. "Well, if your plans change you can always find me." He sulked away over to his seat.

I looked at Hatichi. She was the prettiest girl in our class and had the one guy that all the other girls swooned over chasing after her. But she always said that she had other plans when he talked with her. Girls are so troublesome. "So Hatichi, what were you going to ask me before Sasuke came over?"

"Well, I was just wondering if you wanted to play chess or something like that again?" She had a hopeful smile on her face.

"HATICHI!" Ino's voice rang out as she entered the room. She had a huge grin on her face as she sat down next to Hatichi. "So I heard that you were out late last night throwing Shrukien with Sasuke huh?" She winked.

I didn't want to say anything but for some reason I just couldn't keep my stupid mouth shut. "No, actually she was out late last night with me."

The look of shock on Ino's face was almost too good. The sly grin that she had held on her face melted away into a look of pure horror. Poor Hatichi just blushed, again. Ino looked from me to Hatichi and back, multiple times. Then she glared at me, "Why on earth would she choose to be with you when she could be with Sasuke?"

This time, my stupid mouth had nothing to say. I didn't even really understand it myself.

"Well Ino, its true. I was with Shika last night at my house. We were playing chess and my dog peed on him." Hatichi starred at the table as she said this.

"Okay kids," Iruka Sensei started off as he walked into the room. Ino sighed then gave her full attention over to our teacher. I laid my head down and began to drift off into an uneasy sleep.

"Shikamaru, class is over now." Hatichi poked my arm. I looked up into her face and saw something I never really noticed before; her eyes were a deep shade of sparking green, her midnight hair tied up in a messy bun. She had the most beautiful smile playing with her lips. "Shika you never answered me earlier."

"Huh? What did you ask me?"

Hatichi blushed, "if you wanted to hang out with me again?"

We were the only ones left in the room now. "Hatichi can I ask you something?"

"Yes," for a moment, Hatichi looked scared.

"How come you always tell Sasuke no but you can always find time for me? I mean, any other girl would die to talk with Sasuke half as much as what he tries with you."

She looked confused. "Sasuke, well he's just a good guy to train with, that's all."

I don't know how, or even why I asked my next question. "Do you like Sasuke?"

Hatichi's face went five shades of white. "Sasuke is a friend to me Shikamaru and nothing more." She blushed, "What would if matter to you if I did anyways?"

Why would it matter to me? I couldn't think of an answer.

Hatichi's back straightened. "Well Shika if you're busy then I guess I'll just go find Sasuke." She stood up and walked out of the room.

Did I see her wipe a tear away as she walked? I sighed as I stood up. Girls are confusing, but this feeling I go in the pit of my stomach was worse.

So here I am now, laying on the side of the hill, pondering over this strange feeling that was starting to over come my being. Hatichi and I had always been close friends, for as long as I could remember she had been there with me. The only other person I had like that in my life that I actually liked was Choji, and he had just come into my life. We were always doing stuff together; chess, training, talking, just everything. I couldn't hide anything from her. I could tell her all of my secrets and know that she would never think any less of me. But lately, whenever she did leave my side to go off training with someone like Sasuke, I would get this weird feeling about it. I didn't like her being with him all alone, not because I don't like Sasuke, but because I wanted to be with her. There was only one person in the world who I would be able to talk with this about. So I stood up, stretched and started off towards my house. I'm glad it was nice weather to walk in at least, something to turn this day around for me.

I opened the door and sure enough there was my dad sitting at the table with a cup of sake in his hand. "Yo."

"Yes Shika?"

"I was just wondering if you could help me figure something out." I sat down across from him.

He took a long look into the bottom of his cup and then downed the rest of it. He sighed, "Shika, a girl like Hatichi will only come along once in your life. And if you just keep ignoring her like you do she will move on to another guy and it'll be too late for you once you do realize what you have with her and how you don't what to lose it."

I was shocked, but not surprised. Father often knows things that even I don't understand about myself. "So what should I do then? She's the closet friend that I have and I don't understand this feeling that I have for her, but I do know that I don't want to lose her." Especially to someone like that Sasuke.

Father just closed his eyes and smiled at me. "Well Shikamaru, I don't know how or why your feelings are just now coming around but you need to figure out your next move is for yourself. You're a smart kid you can do it." He stood up, "Well I'm going out. Tell your mother I'll be home before dinner is ready." And with that he walked out of the house.

I sat there for a few minutes longer just thinking about all of this. Why did I feel this way towards Hatichi? And what was I going to do about this said feeling? Then I knew what I had to do; I just had to find Hatichi and tell her how I feel and hopefully she will understand what I'm trying to tell her. So I got up and walked to her house which was just down the road a little way.

I knocked on the door. "Hatichi! Can we talk?"

"Shikamaru," Hatichi's mother opened the door. "Hatichi's not here right now. She said something about training with Sasuke and she might be late for dinner."

So she really did go find Sasuke huh? "Well thanks I just needed to ask her about today's lesson that I forgot stuff about." And with that I found myself walking to the training fields hoping to find them soon.

I could hear them before I saw them, they were fighting with kunai knifes.

"He just doesn't get how I feel about him Sasuke," Hatichi said as she easily dodged his attack. "And I just don't know how much longer I can hold out for him. I mean, Shika's a great guy and my best friend but I just don't know how much longer I can bare being with him and trying my hardest to show him how much I care without getting myself deeper in." She sighed and ran at him, she barely missed.

"Well Hatichi, I know a guy who would jump at the chance to be with you." Sasuke was running out of breath, then he smiled and lunged at her. "And he's a better fighter than Shika, he could protect you better than Shika ever could."

Hatichi smiled at him, it was a warm, knowing smile. "Sasuke I think that I can protect myself pretty well." She then ran full speed at him and easily defeated him in seconds. "That was a good fight Sasuke, I'll see you tomorrow at school." And with that she turned and walked away from Sasuke. Sasuke just smiled and walked the opposite way to his house.

Just as she was about to walk by me I stepped out in front of her. "Yo Hatichi."

She just stopped and looked at me. "What are you doing here Shika?" Her voice sounded sad and maybe with just a hint of hurt in it. The shine in her eyes wasn't there either. Was this all because of me?

"Well, I was kind of thinking that we could go for a walk and just talk. Like we used to." I gave her a smile.

This made part of the shine come back, but they were still empty. "Yeah, I'd like that." So we just fell in step with each other and just walked. And for once I was the nervous one. I knew all of the things that I wanted to talk about but I just couldn't figure out how to say them.

"So, I thought you said that you wanted to talk with me Shika?" Hatichi didn't even look at me as she said this.

I laughed, nervously. "Yeah I did, but I don't know really how to start." I looked at her. "Hatichi, all I know right now is that I don't want to lose you, no matter what happens."

She stopped and looked at me. She looked so confused. "What are you trying to say Shika?"

"I don't really know Hatichi I really don't, all that I do know right now is that I have these feelings for you and I hate it when you go off with Sasuke and other people. I don't like it when you're not with me, I look forward every morning to seeing you Hatichi." She gasped. "I don't know where or how I'm even saying this right now Hatichi, but…." I couldn't believe that this was how I had felt all along and I had just never realized it before. "Hatichi, I love you."

Hatichi just starred at me. And for once, she looked as if she didn't have anything to say to me. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, then took a deep breath, "Shikamaru I don't really know what to say." She closed her eyes and tears started to pour from them.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry Hatichi. I didn't mean to hurt you or anything." God, I really did it now didn't I? I reached out and tried to hold her but she pulled away.

"Shika, I'm not hurt I'm shocked." She looked up at me and smiled.

Girls are so confusing. "What do you mean, 'you're shocked'?"

Hatichi laughed, at a moment like this she had to laugh. "I've just thought about you saying those words to me so many times over at night before I fall asleep. And now right when I was just about ready to give up hope on you, you come around and say it." Hatichi looked up at me and grinned, the shine had returned to her eyes. They looked so pretty right now. She jumped onto me and I held her there, in my arms. This was the most peaceful and best moment I'd ever had in my life. "Shika, I love you too."


End file.
